So, if you can handle things, you don't need to talk much.
When facing someone like Carson, Finney didn't need to use his newly acquired "Demon Haunting," nor did he want to rely on the "Golden Great Technique." He simply used the advantage of striking first, along with years of training and decisive combat skills. After a few swift moves, Carson was on the ground, while his friends stood there, too stunned to react.
Now, thanks to Carson's excellent sense of provocation, he had successfully turned the school's rumors into reality—though he likely hadn't imagined it would end like this.
Finney looked at the others. After a moment's thought, he decided not to make another move. Instead, he warned them calmly: "I've trained in combat. If you still want to come at me, think twice. Even if I go down, I promise some of you will be in worse shape."
Had he said this before knocking Carson out, it might have come off as arrogant or mocking. But now, with Carson lying on the floor groaning and looking miserable, Finney's words felt more like a threat. A real one.
The others looked at each other, hesitating. Although young men are full of bravado, they weren't stupid. They might be close to Carson, but Finney's display of skill had clearly rattled them.
Sensing their hesitation, Finney offered them a graceful way out: "I think it's best if you take him to the infirmary first."
That suggestion gave them an excuse to retreat. They exchanged looks, nodded silently, and started helping the unconscious Carson toward the infirmary.
Watching them leave, Finney smirked slightly and called a car to Skye's shop. There were more important things ahead, and he figured he'd soon have fewer chances to work at the store making chicken nugget rolls.
Entering through the back door, Finney saw Skye lounging on a cozy couch, focused on her laptop. She hadn't noticed his arrival.
He sneaked up behind her and noticed streams of code flying across the screen. She was obviously attacking a website—hacking was her specialty, after all.
A while later, Skye finally let out a long breath and stretched. The movement revealed the gentle curves of her figure.
Finney coughed deliberately, startling her so much that she nearly threw her laptop.
"When did you get here!?" Skye jumped, glaring at him like a kitten puffed up in surprise. Her expression was more cute than intimidating.
"I've been here for a while," Finney replied casually. "But you looked so focused, I didn't want to interrupt. Now get up and tidy up—we're about to open."
Ignoring Skye's death glare, he continued, "Come on!"
"Hmph, I'm your sister. Stop acting like you're older than me all the time," Skye grumbled as she got up to clean. Even though Finney was only fifteen, no one who spent time with him treated him like a typical teenager.
As she bustled about, Finney watched her and then said thoughtfully, "Skye, after graduation, I might have some things to take care of. But about this place…"
"Have you decided which college to go to?" Skye asked casually, not reading too much into his words yet.
"I'm thinking Columbia University."
"Wait—what? That's still in New York, isn't it?" She glanced back at him, puzzled. But when she noticed the serious look on his face, she realized something was up. "What's going on?"
"Yeah, it's still in New York," Finney admitted, "but I probably won't be coming here much to sell chicken nugget rolls."
He wanted to be clear. In truth, he knew Skye's true passion lay in computers, not frying chicken. The shop had become their shared sanctuary, a place full of memories, which is what made it special.
A few months ago, Skye would have grilled him for details. But ever since learning there was more to Finney than met the eye, she'd realized her brother was far more mysterious than she'd ever imagined.
"Do you plan to sell the place?" she asked reluctantly. She remembered the early days when the shop barely had customers. She'd almost given up, and it was only when Finney stepped in to help that things started turning around.
"Of course not," Finney reassured her. "Even if we stop selling nugget rolls, we could turn it into a café or something."
After two years of running the business, Finney wasn't emotionally detached from it. Besides, he didn't have much use for money, and he definitely didn't need to sell the store.
Skye brightened at that, but after a pause, she added seriously, "Finney, I don't know what you're planning… but please, be safe. And if there's anything I can help with, promise you'll tell me."
"I will."
Finney gave her a warm hug, patting her shoulder gently. Then he said with a smile, "Actually, I'm going to learn magic. And if things go well, I'll ask if you can learn too."
"...Huh?"
If not for the bizarre things she'd already seen over the past few days, Skye would have thought he was joking. Even now, after seeing "superpowers" with her own eyes, it still felt surreal to hear someone talk about learning magic like it was a college course.
"Alright, let's open up shop," Finney said, brushing it off. He used one of his skills to instantly summon a batch of 'Sumire Chicken Nugget Rolls' and laid them out in the shop. Since Skye already knew about his powers, there was no need to keep anything secret.
By the time she opened the front door, a pile of freshly made nugget rolls was ready and steaming, as if they had just come out of the oven.
After a busy day, they returned home. Finney also told their regulars that the shop might be closed for a while since he was about to start college. Though reluctant, the business elites and frequent customers were understanding. The catch? He had to lift the usual purchase limits for the time being. To handle the demand, he secretly used several skills to serve them all.
That evening, Finney remembered Carson, whom he'd beaten into the hospital earlier. He wondered what the fallout might be the next day. Still, he had been careful—Carson looked bad, but he wasn't seriously injured. It shouldn't stop him from showing up to school.
To his surprise, Carson didn't come at all. After asking around, Finney found out Carson had taken sick leave.
It wasn't hard to guess why. Though the injuries were minor, they were all on his face, and the bruises were still obvious. Knowing how much high school kids cared about appearances, it made sense that Carson would want to stay home until he looked better.
With one less troublemaker around, Finney felt relieved. But now, his reputation had truly spread: top of the class, good looks, athletic, and with a well-off family. Sure, he was a bit younger than most, but anyone who saw him wouldn't care about that.
Thanks to all this, during graduation season, Finney's popularity with the opposite sex exploded.
And to be honest, he found it a little overwhelming.